Forget what you thought you knew about France’s Languedoc-Roussillon region, because (a) this is far too large a territory to generalize about, and (b) the place today’s wine hails from has only a nominal connection to it. The area known as the Côtes Catalanes sits in the shadow of the eastern Pyrenees, right near the French/Spanish border, and as its name suggests, is more a ‘Catalonian’ territory than it is a French (or Spanish) one.
It may technically be part of France’s Roussillon for wine-classification purposes, but it is distinct in every way—as exemplified by today’s wild and fascinating red from Domaine de l’Horizon. Located in the same village as the pioneering Domaine Gauby and blessed with some of the oldest vines in the region, l’Horizon is a mind-bogglingly delicious departure from what most wine people expect from the extreme south of France. It is the furthest thing from rich, dark, and syrupy, but instead pulses with the freshness that comes from being grown on the side of a mountain. At the same time, it flaunts the kind of Mediterranean
caractére sauvage that comes from being grown close to the sea. Unique situations produce unique wines, which is what drew Domaine de l’Horizon proprietor Thomas Teibert here in the first place: Once he saw it, he knew he had to make wine here, and it didn’t take him long to attract a rabid cult following and widespread critical praise. In very short order, Domaine de l’Horizon has catapulted into the southern French elite: This succulent Carignan/Syrah blend must not be missed!
[*NOTE: Today’s pre-offer will be arriving at our warehouse on May 20th. Limit 12 per person.]
Perched in the windswept foothills of the Pyrenees, about 10 kilometers northwest of Perpignan, Domaine de l’Horizon has been a sommelier sensation since Teibert founded the estate in the mid-2000s. Born in Germany, Teibert has had a varied and successful career in wine: He worked for a time as the winemaker at Manincor in Italy’s German-speaking Alto Adige and also did a stint as a barrel broker for the bespoke Austrian cooper Stockinger. Meeting Gérard Gauby and tasting Gauby’s soulful, biodynamically farmed wines was a game-changer for Teibert, who promptly set up shop in the same town—the aptly named, limestone-rich village of Calce—and even acquired some old vines that Gauby had originally planted. Over time, the Domaine de l’Horizon holdings have grown to about 15 hectares, all of them farmed organically/biodynamically and including some prized old-vine plots of Carignan and Syrah, which are featured in today’s “L’Esprit de l’Horizon” cuvée.
Like Gauby, Teibert is producing some wonderfully textured, mineral whites based on the Macabeu grape, while on the red side, his wines (also like Gauby’s) show off Carignan’s ‘noble’ side (something many don’t think it has). The area in and around Calce is a cool, windy, geologically diverse terroir, formed millions of years ago when the Iberian and Eurasian land masses collided to create the Pyrenees—and a mashup of slate and limestone/marl. It’s a place that feels both a mountain and Mediterranean influence in equal measure, and it is on display in this wine: There’s dark-fruited concentration balanced by freshness, and a unique mix of stony minerality and dusty, herbaceous notes evocative of the fragrant Mediterranean scrub.
Today’s 2017 is a blend of 60% Carignan and 40% Syrah, sourced from vines averaging around 30 years of age. It was fermented with some whole grape clusters intact (about 30%) and aged 12 months in a mixture of used French oak
foudres and
demi-muids. The texture is one of the big stories here: it is a plush, beautifully rounded wine that nevertheless pulses with energy. In the glass, it’s a deep purple-ruby with hints of magenta at the rim, with aromas of blackberry, plum, crushed blueberry, baking spices, cacao, lavender, olives, and dusty earth. Medium-plus in body but exceedingly fresh and low in alcohol, it is immensely satisfying right now and will continue to thrill over the next 5-7 years. It is such an evocative expression of place—a place I really want to visit, soon—and it seems only logical to seek out a recipe that speaks to that place. The attached recipe captures the Catalan influence of the local food and boy do I want to cook it tonight. Any excuse to pop another bottle of this exceptional wine!
